<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Beastmaster:
Having run BFG AT's in some variant over 8 years or so, I've always had good tire wear, very good performance, and not one failure. But that was always with lighter trucks with less grunt than Hummers provide. With that being said, I can definitely say that BFG AT's as a stock factory tire is probably one of the best things that could have happened to the H2.
In regards to this specific question, I have seen only one failure like what you've depicted. It was on an H1 who's tire delaminated like this after repeated airing down and reinflations. It created slanted stress cracks in the layer where the sidewall ends and the tread begins. The tread then separated from the rest of the tire carcass.
I then did a bit more research and came up with the same issue for other variants of the AT's and MT's.
I'd still say that for a street queen or a truck used for moderate to moderate-heavy off roading, the BFG AT is still a killer tire that I would have no problems trusting my family members lives with.
This is quoted from R. Thomas Cepek (of Dick Cepek fame) about this issue, called torque cracking.
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Question: I have been losing about ten pounds on my rear tires (BF AT/KO 37") every night. Brought the truck into the dealer for a look-see at the CTIS and the dealer noticed about ten evenly distributed "slashes" on the tires near where the sidewalls meet the tread.
Question #2: I've got a set of M/T KMs, 35x12.5R15, about 40k, recently they began to develop small slits between the small lugs that go down the sidewall, which results in a fully inflated tire going dead flat in a matter of minutes. The first time it happened I figured, well, strange spot but maybe I hit something. Second time was a different tire, same spot. So now I'm thinking, ok, wtf is going on here. Now today one of the same tires has developed the same thing in a different spot but in the exact same location, between the small lugs again. I'm going to try to get some money back for these POS tires. I also have to mention these tires were a warranty purchase(tread depth pro rated warranty of course) after my A/T KOs in the same size started to develop bubbles in about the same area as my M/Ts are failing. Hmmmm....and both times the store says, "Hmm, never seen that before."
Answer from RTC: I've seen this many times with BFG tires, and rarely with other types. If this, in fact, your problem, it's called Torque Cracking, and has a tendency to do this if the tires are run at lower pressure over an extended period of time.
BFG had a big problem with this when they first introduced the 31/10.50R-15 Radial TA, and it was caused at that time, because they used Rayon Cord as a body ply. It turned out that the Rayon is not that great of a body ply material and is not as extensible as it needs to be, when used in a body ply scenario. This can happen on any tire, and is typical of too low pressure and over heating of the tires. I would make sure you have them looked at closely, and perhaps have them adjusted by a BFG Zone manager. What can happen with those cracks, is that they begin to split open enough to let the elements get to the tire cord, and when that happens, the elements, (air, water, salt, etc.) can begin to "wick" through the tire cord, and cause seperations, bubbles, etc. and eventually a failure, usually that the most inopportune time. RTC </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Tom Cepek is a good guy and knows his stuff.
Funny thing about that tire failure is that it's not a typical "uncapping." There are vertical tears in the sidewall indicating some type of foreign object puncture or something along those lines. Obviously the weak part is the sidewalls and just like when a balloon pops into many pieces, when a tire goes, it can separate rather violently and not just around the area of failure. That tire looks like more of a road hazard failure than simple tire failure.
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